ROSS Bowling Club brought their winter short mat bowling season to an end with the climax of the Club Singles competition and an awards presentation and buffet supper.

In the Singles competition the final was between two Herefordshire county premier team singles players. In the semi-finals Dave Watkins had seen off the challenge of Phil Jenkinson, whose achievement in reaching this stage of the competition in his first season of short mat bowling was highly commendable. Defending champion, Tony Vitale, produced some very accurate draw bowling to defeat Alan Carver.

The final saw Tony make another strong start with sustained high quality draw bowling from the off and although Dave settled and clawed back some shots, he was unable to make significant inroads into Tony’s lead and prevent him from winning his third title in four years.

Club president, John Perks presented the awards for all of the club competitions which had run over the winter season and paid special thanks to Ian Roe and George Marshall, who had organised and run them.

The competition winners were: Singles – Tony Vitale, Evening Triples – Betty Aubrey, Maurice Leake, Ian Roe. Afternoon Pairs – Liz Nicholson and Harold Aubrey. Afternoon Australian Pairs – Pauline Mills and Les Williams, Afternoon Triples (1) – Gwen Lambert, Stella Bufton and Tony Vitale, Afternoon Triples (2) – Liz Cole, Mike Nicholson and Harold Aubrey.

The Ross players were also able to reflect on a very successful season for the club’s players at county level which began with Ross’s first win of the county Summer League. Following disappointing National Qualifiers, which saw only the triple of Ali and Ian Roe and Ian Park advancing to represent Ross in the national finals, the club then enjoyed an unbroken run of success in the County Championships with Kate Williams, partnering Joe Loveys from the Gorsley Chapel club, winning the County Pairs and then successive wins in the County Triples, County Fours, Bromyard Triples Challenge and County Mixed Fours for teams featuring George Marshall, Elaine George, Les Williams, Dave Watkins, Pam and Ian Park and Ali and Ian Roe in different combinations. The club also had six players regularly representing Herefordshire in the inter county championship across the season.